Catholic Churches of NCC includes: Saint Patrick Parish Seneca WI; Saint Philip Parish Rolling Ground WI; Saint Mary Parish Gays Mills WI; St James Cemetery Rising Sun WI; Kneeland Cemetery Seneca WI catholicchurchesofncc.com

Feast of Saint John Lateran  and   32^nd Week of Ordinary Time     

November 9^th, 2025

St. Mary, St. Patrick, St. Philip Parishes

Mail address for all three parishes:   PO Box 35, Seneca WI 54654

Website: https://www.catholicchurchesofncc.com

Confessions: Normally, 30 minutes before every  Mass and by appointment.

Normal Monthly Eucharistic Adoration:

St. Patrick: First Friday after the 8:30 AM Mass

St. Philip: First Sunday after the 10:30 AM Mass

Mass Intentions This Week

Pastor: Fr. Tom Huff – frtomhuff@gmail.com St. Patrick's Rectory 608-734-3252

Bookkeeper: Angie Martin -- 608-734-3931 stpatricks.seneca.bookkeeper@gmail.com

Bulletin/Mass Intentions/Membership: Yvonne Hady -- 608 485-2109 hadyy@mwt.net

Bulletin Information Deadline: Tuesdays at 4:00 PM. Bulletin is posted on our website.

UPCOMING PARISH EVENTS

Wednesday November 12^th Adult Faith Study at St. Mary’s, 7:00 PM

Saturday, November 22^nd Hunter's Mass 7pm at St. Philip’s   and the usual 7pm Mass at St. Patrick’s

Thanksgiving Day Masses

Thursday, November 27^th 8:30 am at St. Patrick’s

Thursday, November 27^th 8:30 am at St. Phillip’s

All Souls Day Intentions: Please turn in your All Souls Intentions as soon as possible. There are special envelopes in your offering boxes, or you can place them in a regular envelope marked “All Souls.” Any money donated will be combined to determine the number of All Souls Masses for the next year; you do not have to donate any specific amount. Checks should be made out to “Stipend Account.” Please include the names of any deceased that you would like to have remembered.

From the Priest’s Corner:

The Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome

By the Most Reverend Daniel Mueggenborg. Bishop of Reno, Nevada

I would like to reflect with you on our celebration this Sunday, November 9th, as we commemorate the dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. Chiseled above the doors of the basilica, you’ll see an inscription across the front that reads: “The sacred mother and head of all the churches of the city and of the world.” That bold claim explains why we celebrate this feast universally. Indeed, the Church of St. John Lateran in Rome is the mother and head of all churches in the city and the world. In a real sense, St. John Lateran has been teaching us as Catholics what it means to be Church for nearly 1,700 years. It’s worth reflecting on three of the lessons we can learn from this great basilica.

The first lesson we learn from this basilica is taught by its very size. When Constantine legalized Christianity in 312–313 AD, he made it possible for Christians to worship publicly for the first time. When Constantine asked Pope Sylvester how big a church he wanted, and Pope Sylvester replied, “How big can you build it?” The basilica today is the same size as the one Constantine built in the 4th century, which can accommodate up to 5,000 people. As the first place built for public Christian worship in Rome, it’s not only the cathedral of Rome, it also sets the standard for all Christian worship spaces.

This basilica itself teaches us that Mass is never something we watch as spectators, but something in which we participate. No one can do our prayer for us. When we come to Mass, are should be transformed with the priest as he leads us in prayer and deeper communion with God. If our first words after Mass are criticisms rather than thanksgiving, we’ve become observers rather than participants. But if we are participants every Eucharist celebration will be a life-changing encounter with Christ.

The second lesson from St. John Lateran comes from its baptistery. The baptistery is adorned with red stone columns; columns that once adorned pagan monuments in Rome and symbolized forces of sin and death. They could have used new materials, but they chose these for a reason. The message is profound: in baptism, the secular becomes sacred, the profane is incorporated into the Body of Christ. Through baptism, the unbaptized become part of the Church and makes them new in Christ.

The Church has always been a community of sinners seeking God’s grace. This baptistery reminds us that no sin is greater than God’s mercy. The waters of baptism and the grace of reconciliation continue to transform the secular into the sacred. The Church is where we trust and celebrate God’s all-powerful, unbounded, transforming mercy.

The final lesson comes from the bronze pillars near the tabernacle. In 44 BC, Augustus became heir to Julius Caesar. After defeating Mark Antony and Cleopatra’s navy, Augustus confiscated their ships, removed the bronze prows, melted them down, and formed four pillars placed in the Temple of Jupiter. These pillars symbolized a new era and the birth of the Roman Empire.

Constantine gave these four pillars to St. John Lateran to make a similar statement for the Church; a new day has dawned, a new era has begun. Christianity is no longer a private experience, but a public witness that transforms society and culture. These pillars remind us to be courageous and prophetic in our faith, to be publicly vocal. The Church still has a necessary voice in world affairs. We must remember this today more than ever.

St. Patrick’s Announcements:

St Patrick’s Religious education program is gathering food donations through Sunday, Nov 16. Donations can be brought to the parish hall and will be delivered to the Gays Mills Food Pantry on Nov 16. Thanks for your support.

St. Philip Announcements:

St. Philip Candles: Contact Bonnie Murphy. The cost is $5 per candle.

Food Pantry items are needed. Please leave any gift at the rear of the Church.

St. Mary Announcements:

Rosary – 30 minutes before Mass -- St. Mary’s Church is open each day from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. You are welcome to stop in to pray and/or light a candle for your special intention.

First Sunday Potluck – Potluck brunch after Mass each first Sunday of the month. All are welcome, dish to share is appreciated, but not required. Next potluck is Sunday, Dec. 7^th.

Food Pantry Donations can be left in the basket in the rear of the Church.

Tri-Parish Prayer List – We want to pray for the ill and others in our parishes who need ongoing prayer. To be placed on or to place someone on our prayer list, please call: Sue Peterson 608-735-4865, Bonnie Murphy 608-386-4954, or Ica Boylen 608-734-3287.

                          Income from Last Week

The Importance of Veterans Day

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”

Catholic Perspective on Hunting

Question:

I know that we are not to treat animals cruelly and that we are allowed to kill an animal in self-defense, but is it okay to hunt animals for sport?   

Answer:

God gave man stewardship over animals, and that includes using them for just purposes. Examples of just purposes that the Catechism of the Catholic Church points out are food, clothing, medical and scientific experimentation, and the work and leisure of man (CCC 2417–8). But man must not deliberately cause animals to suffer and die needlessly, because to do so would be contrary to man’s own dignity. Animals, properly speaking, do not have “rights” because they are not human. But man does have the human responsibility to treat them with reasonable care.

Does this exclude sport hunting? If a hunter were merely shooting an animal for the purpose of watching it suffer and die, yes. But the vast majority of hunters don’t do that. Some use the meat and skins of the animals. Others are helping to preserve the balance of nature by using carefully regulated licensing procedures to thin out animal overpopulation. Some hunt for sport, but the sport is in the tracking, gun skills, and trophy hunting, not in causing suffering and death to animals. All responsible hunters take care not to leave a wounded animal injured by a badly aimed shot to suffer; they make sure to track it down and end its suffering. In short, the Church does not oppose sport hunting.

About Saint Hubert, Patron Saint of Hunters

Saint Hubert is also known as St. Hubertus. A married man with a passion for hunting, Hubert was not initially passionate about his faith. On the death of his wife he immersed himself in hunting. As legend holds, an encounter with a stag with a crucifix between its antlers turned Hubert’s life toward God.

He is known as the patron saint of hunters, dogs, and archers. Among sport hunters he is credited as the source of ethical hunting behavior.

Prayer: St. Hubert, patron saint of hunters, please guide me and grant me a safe & successful hunting experience and hunting season. Amen.